Many people are curious about the factors that lead some folks to sell sex for a living. Are they doing it because they actually like this kind of work, or because they don’t feel as though they have any other choice? Let’s take a look at what the research says. The infographic below summarizes the motivations reported by a sample of female sex workers in Switzerland.

It’s important to note that prostitution is legal in Switzerland, so these results probably speak more to the motivations of women in countries where sex work is out in the open and regulated. It’s likely that the motivations would be quite different in places where sex work remains underground and is more dangerous.